Type-writing machine.



Le. MULAUGH-LIN. TYPE WRITING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED 00T.'8, 1908.

980,547. 'Patented (m1131911.

CII

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. IVICLAUGI-ILIN, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO UNDERWOOD 'IYPEWRITER COMPANY, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OIE' NEW JERSEY.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

To all whom 'it may concern;

Be it known that I, J oi-IN C. MoLAUGH- LIN, a citizen of the United States, residing in Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in TypelVriting Machines, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to the keys of typewriting and other instruments, and particularly to the denomination keys of a tabulating mechanism. It is frequently desired to use the same key for diii'erent purposes, as in case of a tabulating mechanism, where it is sometimes necessary to use the same stop for different denominations and to make a correspondingl change in the key.

The object of the invention is to provide improved, simplified and practical means for effecting the desired changes in the keys.

In carrying out the invention, I provide a. body or base having different characters, and upon it I mount a revoluble shutter, preferably in the form of an annular casing or cap. This turns upon said base and is provided with an opening to exhibit only one character at a time. A transparent disk rests upon the shutter. A key-cap lits over said disk, and is connected to the shutter to 4turn the SHINE.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a. diagrammatic plan, showing in the upper row a set of denomination keys, of which the iirst four are of ordinary construction, and the last six are constructed in accordance with the invention. Upon these six keys the shutters are shown as set to expose a set of characters in the upper half of the base. In said figure the second row shows the same six keys, the shutters having been turned to expose the characters on the lower half of the base, so that the keys may be used for different denominations. When adjusted according to the first row, the ten keys and their stops are adapted for denominational work up to millions, with the punctuation marks between the hundreds and thousands, and also between the hundreds of thousands and millions. In the lower row the punctuation marks are omitted, and the capacity of the mechanism is increased to hundreds of millions. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the component parts of the key. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic plan View illustrating different stages in the rotation of the shutter for Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led October S, 1908.

Patented Jan. 3, 1911.

Serial No. 456,720.

changing from one set of characters to another set. Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation of the key, and Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic elevation of the tabulating mechanism, showing the key connected to a denomination stop.

A key body is illustrated as mounted upon a stem 1, the latter carried upon a lever 2, which is connected to a rod 3 having at its upper end a denomination stop 4, to coperate with a column stop 5 upon a rack bar 6 mounted upon the usual carriage (not shown).

The key comprises a base, seat or body 7 and upon which is secured a character-bearing disk S. Said disk 8 is provided with two sets of characters, one set in the upper half and the other set in the lower half. A shutter 9, in the forni of an annular casing, is mounted to turn about the base 7, and rests upon a flange 10 thereon, said shutter having an opening 11. Upon the shutter rests a transparent disk or cover 12. A cap 18, in the form of a ferrule, surrounds the shutter, the shutter being forced into or otherwise secured to the cap to rotate therewith, so that the shutter may be adjusted to exhibit different sets of characters through the opening. The cap 13 is provided with an interior flange 14 to fit over the transparent cover 12, so that said cover is confined between said fiange 14 and the shutter 9. The cap 13 is also provided with nibs 15 to catch under the base 7 to retain the same.

At Fig. 3, in the View to the left the characters 1 T in the upper half of the character disk 8 are seen through the opening` 11, while the characters in the lower half of the disk are concealed. In the middle view the shutter is illustrated as having been given nearly a quarter of a revolution in the direction of the arrow, exhibiting part of the upper and lower sets of characters; while in the view to the right, the shutter is illustrated as having been given one half a revolution and exhibiting the characters 10 T in the lower half of the disk.

To prevent accidental rotation of the shuti ter when set to exhibit either of said sets of characters, a spring detent 16 in the base 7 engages with one of a pair of opposite recesses 17 in the wall of the shutter 9.

Whenever it is desired to change from one set of characters to the other, it is only necessary'to turn the cap 13, the edge of the recess 17 engaged by the detent engaging the pointed or rounded end of the detent and forcing it into its seat in the base against the tension of the spring 18. The key cap con tinues to turn until the other recess 17 comes into register with the detent 16, whereupon said spring 18 forces the detent into said recess.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A key comprising atransparent disk, a revoluble shutter beneath the disk, a fixed character-bearing disk beneath the shutter, means for revolving said shutter to exhibit different characters at will beneath the transparent disk, and a detent between the shutter and character-bearing disk for detaining the shutter in different positions.

2.`A typewriter key having, lin combination, a fixed character-bearing disk, a rotatable shutter thereover, a transparent disk over the shutter, and a cap inclosing said transparent disk and shutter, and connected to the shutter to revolve the same to exhibit different characters beneath the transparent disk, means being provided to retain the cap on the key.

3. A key comprising a stem, a circular base,a character disk secured upon the base, a cap-like shutter fitting over the base and provided with an opening, and having opposite recesses in the walls thereof, a spring detent in the base to engage one of the recesses in the shutter, a transparent cover resting upon the shutter, and a revoluble cap having an interior flange fitting over said cover, and connected to the shutter to revolve therewith.

4f. In a tabulating mechanism, a key comprising a base having characters, arevoluble shutter in the form of an annular casing or cap having an opening, and a pair of opposite recesses in the walls thereof, said shutter manipulable to exhibit one ofsaid characters and conceal the other, and a detent in the base to engage one of said rel cesses to lock the shutter against accidental rotation.

5. A key comprising a stem, a base having a flange, a character disk secured upon the base having two sets of characters, a rotatable shutter in the form of a casing mounted upon the base to turn upon the flange and provided with an opening, and also having a pair of opposite recesses in the Walls thereof, said shutter manipulable to exhibit either of said characters, and a spring detent in the base to engage one of the recesses in the shutter to lock the latter against accidental rotation.

6. A key comprising a circular base having a flange, a character disk secured upon the base, a rotatable shutter in the form of an annular casing fitting over the base and resting upon the base flange, said shutter provided with an opening and having a pair of opposite recesses in its walls, a spring detent in the base, a transparent cover resting upon the shutter, and a revoluble cap having an interior flange fitting over said cover, said cap connected to the shutter to exhibit either of said characters, and said detent engaging one of the recesses in the casing to lock theshutter against accidental rotation.

7. A key comprising a base having alternative characters thereon, a cap revolubly mounted upon said base and having an inturned brim, and a shutter confinedaetween said brim and said base, said shell connected to said shutter.

8. A key comprising a base having alternative characters thereon, a cap revolubly mounted upon said base and havin@ an inturned brim, and a shutter confined tbetween said brim and said base, said shell connected to said shutter, a transparent disk being confined between said brim and said shutter.

JOHN C. McLAUGI-ILIN.

W'tnesses JOHN O. SEIFERT, K. FRANKFORT. 

